How to Associate a Monitor to a Computer Using Connector

Monitors now often return their serial number in a HW inventory (aexmachinv.exe). If you are using CMDB Solution and are tracking monitors as a resource you can use Connector Solution to create the association between a computer and its monitor(s).

1. First create a couple of reports to run to see if you are getting the necessary information from your inventory and whether you are entering the serial number on you monitor resources in the same format.
2. The next step is to take the same SQL to create a Connector Data Source.
3. Then create a Connector Import/Export Rule to create the association.
4. Finally, run the rule.

Run The Reports

1. The following report will list if your computers are picking up the serial numbers of the monitors the same way you are entering them in the monitor resource type.
   

   SELECT T0.[Name] AS 'Name', T0.[Last Logon User] AS 'Last Logon User',  
         T1.[Manufacturer Name] AS 'Manufacturer Name',  
         T1.[Serial Number] AS 'Monitor Serial Number'  
   FROM [Inv_AeX_AC_Identification] T0  
   JOIN [Inv_AeX_HW_Monitor] T1  
    ON T0.[_ResourceGuid] = T1.[_ResourceGuid] 
   ORDER BY T0.[Name]
   
   

2. Next run the following report to see if the computer's scanned monitor serial number links up to the resouce type Monitor's serial number.
   

   SELECT v.Guid AS '_ItemGuid',  
         id.[_ResourceGuid] as 'ResourceGuid', 
         id.[Name] as 'Computer', v.[Name] AS 'Monitor',  
         v.[Description] AS 'Monitor Description',  
         sn.[Serial Number] as 'Monitor Asset SN',  
         mon.[Serial Number] as 'Computer Monitor SN'  
   FROM vResourceItem v  
   JOIN Inv_Serial_Number sn  
    ON v.guid = sn.[_ResourceGuid]  
    AND ResourceTypeGuid = 'FE46D9CE-B71C-4DE4-B790-242A9EF1A5D3'   
   JOIN Inv_AeX_HW_Monitor mon  
    ON sn.[Serial Number] = mon.[Serial Number]  
   JOIN Inv_AeX_AC_Identification id  
    ON id.[_ResourceGuid] = mon.[_ResourceGuid]
    
   

Connector Data Source

Create a Connector Data Source that uses the following SQL, which is the same as the report in step 2 above, (only part of the SQL is shown in the screen shot) against your NS database. This is done under Configuration > Solution Settings > Connector.

SELECT v.Guid AS '_ItemGuid', 
      id.[_ResourceGuid] as 'ResourceGuid', 
      id.[Name] as 'Computer', v.[Name] AS 'Monitor', 
      v.[Description] AS 'Monitor Description',  
      sn.[Serial Number] as 'Monitor Asset SN',  
      mon.[Serial Number] as 'Computer Monitor SN' 
FROM vResourceItem v  
JOIN Inv_Serial_Number sn  
 ON v.guid = sn.[_ResourceGuid]  
 AND ResourceTypeGuid = 'FE46D9CE-B71C-4DE4-B790-242A9EF1A5D3'  
JOIN Inv_AeX_HW_Monitor mon  
 ON sn.[Serial Number] = mon.[Serial Number]  
JOIN Inv_AeX_AC_Identification id  
 ON id.[_ResourceGuid] = mon.[_ResourceGuid]
 

Notes:

• Put in the name of the SQL server, instead of localhost, if it is not on the same server as the Notification Server.
• Do NOT put in an User ID or password, the Connector will use the NS's application identity to access the database.
• Select the name of you NS database from the drop down list of databases.
  
  

  Click to view.

Connector Import/Export Rule

Create a Resource Import Export Rule. The Resource Lookup Key is ResourceGuid and the Resource Name does not need to be set since you will not be creating any new resources. The only other piece is to set the association of Resouce Guid to _ItemGuid. ResourceGuid and _ItemGuid are defined in the SQL used in the data source.

Click to view.

Click to view.

Finish

Apply the Rule, Test it and then Run it. You may want to schedule it to run on a regular schedule that corresponds to the HW Inventory.

More information if you have troubles matching the serial numbers: The monitor information in the registry is kept in a RAW format in the location HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\DISPLAY. The data is edid data and is kept in a subkey for device parameters as part of the specified device. Other monitor vendors may keep this data in another location on the client OS. If you can find out where this would be, you can create a custom inventory to gather the information from the custom location. Of course in that situation, the SQL above would have to modified.